


The Dog

by direneed



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Death, Death of a pet, Gen, Grief, dying dog, soft side of Ramsey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 19:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4403987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/direneed/pseuds/direneed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ramsey has one tiny soft spot in that black hole of a heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dog

**Author's Note:**

> I know I said in the comments of "Not Her" that I wasn't sure if I could write Ramsey, but I had this idea floating around in my head today so here you go.

Ramsey grit his teeth as he saw the scene before him. A lot of things made him angry, he would admit, but this? He felt his vision redden. It was the latest hunt, and he had been looking forward to it because he had finally been able to show Reek the proper way to ride, so that he wouldn’t be stumbling along on foot like he usually was. The hunt began, and they had finally caught up with the girl—Millicent was her name, and he had heard a yelp through the trees. When he, the rest of the hounds, and Reek had finally caught up, the girl was cowering in a niche among some tree roots, and Red Jeyne was laying in front of her, near death, and a gash in her stomach, and the offending rock not far.

He heard Reek begin to tear up, Red Jeyne was the gentlest of his hounds, and he had seen Reek cuddle with the dog on cold nights in the kennels. Ramsey plastered on what some would call an “evil” smile and whistled, his hounds growling behind him as they pounced on the woman who killed his dog.

\--

Once they had gotten further away from the woman, with Red Jeyne laying behind Reek on his horse. Ramsey held out a hand to stop, and got off his own. He gently removed the dog from Reek’s horse, shushing her gently as she whimpered from the movement. He placed her down on the ground and sat down next to her, stroking her fur despite it being matted with blood. Reek got off his own horse as well and sat down beside Red Jeyne and Ramsey.

“Reek…” Ramsey said quietly, and he was shocked to hear a hint of sadness in Ramsey’s voice. “I’m going to go back home. Please—just take care of this will you? I don’t want her to suffer.” Ramsey sniffed, and Reek knew better than to stare. He stoked the hound’s fur one last time and got up off the ground. “Wait until I’m out of sight.” Ramsey said to Reek as he mounted his horse again and galloped off. Reek dismounted and crouched beside the dog, stroking it as he looked for a large rock. He eventually found one, and closed his eyes as he brought it down on the hound’s skull.

\--

Ever since they had gotten back from the hunt, Ramsey had not been approachable for days, at least, less approachable then his usual unapproachable self. If any of the servants would even look at him the wrong way, threats of flaying them were heard all throughout the yards and halls of the Dreadfort. Meals were left outside his room untouched, and eventually Reek was called upon to try to approach him. Reek had no idea what they expected him to do! Ramsey was more likely to flay him than any of the other servants of the Dreadfort. This in mind, Reek softly knocked on Ramsey’s door.

“M’lord?” Reek asked, almost inaudibly through the door.

“I’m not hungry. And the next servant who tries to come through that door with another tray I will kill them slowly and painfully.” An icy response came through the door.

“I don’t have any trays m’lord.” Reek replied, and the door opened. The room was a mess, no servants had been in to clean it for weeks. The furs on Ramsey’s bed were tangled from what Reek could only guess was his tossing and turning, with some even laying in a jumble on the floor. Ramsey looked even worse, and smelled just as bad as he did on his worst days. His eyes were puffy, and Reek knew that he’d been crying. He hadn’t seen Ramsey in a few weeks, and he knew that his master was grieving. Without a word, Reek began to clean the room.

“…she was my first one.” Ramsey said softly. “I had her since before Father began to acknowledge me. We never had a lot to feed her, but she would always come back. She was my only friend before the first Reek came along, and was there when he died, and was there when you came too.” Ramsey explained from where he was seated by the window, staring outward. “I never really have gotten along with people, there’s just…a problem with me. There was the Reek before you, you, and my mother. Other than that though, I’ve always gotten along better with dogs then I have with people. And I can’t even say I get along with you.” He chuckled sadly. “Sometimes I went out alone with her and we’d walk. I never felt angry, I just felt…content. Did you have any pets when you were Theon Greyjoy Reek?” Ramsey asked and looked over at his manservant who was neatly arranging the furs on his bed. Reek shook his head.

“No m’lord.” Reek told him, startled that Ramsey would even acknowledge his past as Theon Greyjoy. Ramsey got up, and walked over to Reek, staring at him. It wasn’t necessarily hateful, but it wasn’t a positive feeling either, so it made Reek uncomfortable.

“You’re a lot like her, Red Jeyne I mean. After I trained you, you just became so gentle and so unassuming. Doing whatever you can to please your master, but not going out of your way to be cruel.” Ramsey said, placing a hand on Reek’s head, stroking him. “It’s endearing.” He said as he sat on his bed which Reek had just made. “Go get me some dinner.”

“Yes m’lord.” Reek replied and scuttled towards the door of the bedchamber.

“Oh and Reek?”

“Yes m’lord?”

“Tell anyone what I just told you and I will kill you.”

“Yes m’lord.”


End file.
